Hair curler



March 17, 1942. M, E, CARBQNEL v l 2,276,760

HAIR CURLER Filed April 12,' 1941 Patented Mar. 17, 1942 UNlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE HAIR CURLER Mariano E. Carbonel, Philadelphia, Pa.

Application April 12, 1941, Serial No. 388,317

5 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved hair curler and more particularly to a curler of the character wherein a lock of hair is wound upon a mandrel and secured to form a curl.

Heretofore, available curlers of the kind have, for the most part, proven inefficient chiefly because no provision is made for securing the coil of hair at the bottom of the coil close to the scalp as well as at the top of the coil. Furthermore, curlers of the present kind heretofore available have tended toward over-exing of the prongs of the hair pin to defeat the subsequent clamping action thereof, or have been found unhandy, due to the necessity of holding the mandrel with one hand and thus leaving only the other hand free with which to spread the prongs of the pin preparatory to placing the pin on the coil of hair.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a curler wherein, after a lock of hair has been wound on the mandrel to form a coil, a hair pin may be positioned, by convenient manipulation of the device, to straddle the turns of the coil at the top thereof and another hair pin likewise positioned to straddle the turns of the coil close to the scalp at a point opposite the first pin, so that the coil will be firmly clamped and secured at the top and bottom thereof by the two pins.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device wherein, before the operation of winding the hair on the mandrel is begun and while both hands are free for use, a pair of hair pins may be installed on the device and the device set, ready for use.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a device embodying a pair of hair pin Shifters, and wherein movement of the Shifters rearwardly into retracted set position will serve to automatically spread the prongs of the respective pins so that the pins will be ready to be shifted forwardly into engagement with a coil of hair on the mandrel.

A further object of the invention, in this connection, is to provide a device wherein the same hand which is employed to actuate and hold the mandrel may also be employed to actuate the hair pin Shifters, as with the thumb or a finger, so that the other hand will be left free to shape and manipulate the coil of hair which will form the curl.

And the invention seeks, as a still further object, to provide a device which will becharacterized by symmetry, fewparts and structural simplicity.

Other and incidental objects of the invention will appear during the course of the following description, and in the drawing:

Figure l is a perspective view of my improved hair curler.

Figure 2 is a vertical, longitudinal sectional view on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary, longitudinal section showing the hair pins retracted.

Figure 4 is a detail section on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a detail perspective View of one of the hair pin shifters.

Figure 6 is an enlarged, detail section on the line 6 6 of Figure 3.

Figure 7 is a perspective view showing the hair pins shifted into engagement with a coil of hair on the mandrel.

In carrying the invention into effect, I employ a cylindrical mandrel I0 which is provided at its forward end portion with a slot II to receive a look of hair for winding on the mandrel, as will be understood, and removably fitting over the rear end portion of the mandrel is a handle I2.` The mandrel may be of metal or other approved material and this is also true of the handle. An attractive construction is provided by making these parts of suitable plastics.

Formed in the mandrel II] are oppositely disposed grooves I3 which extend from end to end of the mandrel, and formed in the handle I2 to register with the rear end portions of said grooves are slots I4, the rear ends of the grooves being blocked and closed by the handle. Intersecting each of the grooves I3 in a plane adjacent the rear end of the slot II, as best seen in Figure 4, is a pair of lateral pockets I5 defining a pair of oppositely disposed, rounded shoulders I6 at the rear ends of the pockets and a like pair of shoulders II at the forward ends of the pockets. It is now to be noted that the portions of the grooves I3 forwardly of the pairs of pockets I5 are provided with straight side walls or, in other words, are channel shape in cross section, while the portions of the grooves rearwardly of the pockets are, as seen in Figure 6, more or less dovetailed in cross section.

Slidable in the grooves I3 of the mandrel ID is a pair of hair pin Shifters, one of which is shown in detail in Figure 5. As these Shifters are identical, only one need be described in detail.

As will be observed, each of the hair pin shifters includes a flat, oblong head I8 of a width and thickness to be slidablyl received beneath the overhang of the side walls ofthe dovetailed real' end portion of either of the grooves I3 so that the head cannot rise out of the groove, and extending forwardly from the head is a pair of normally diverging spring Shanks I9 in the crotch between which latter, the head iS provided with an upstanding Stop 20. Rising from the head at its rear end is a button 2i, the shank of which is of a length to extend out of the rear end portion of either of the grooves I3 and to be freely received in the registering slot I4 of the handle I2.

Formed on or otherwise secured to the spring Shanks I9 is a pair of complemental jaws 22 and 23 having corresponding lateral base flanges 24, the ends of which are provided with beveled shoulders 25. The base anges 24 are, as seen in Figure 6, of a width and thickness to slidably engage beneath the overhang of the side walls of the dovetailed rear end portion of either of the grooves I3 but are not receivable in the channel shaped forward end portions of said grooves. Rising from the base flange of the jaw 22 iS a vertical flange 26, and rising from the base ange of the jaw 23 are spaced fingers 2'I receivable between which latter is a wedge-shaped spreader 28 projecting inwardly from the flange 26 medially thereof. As brought out in Figure 6, the flange 26 and fingers 2I are disposed to coact with the vertical portions of the dovetailed rear end portion of either of the grooves I3 for maintaining the jaws closed in mating relation.

The pair of hair pin Shifters, as just described, are inserted in the grooves I3 from the rear ends thereof, the handle I2 being removable for this purpose, and, as will now be Seen, the Shifters may be readily moved either forwardly or rearwardly in the grooves by manipulating the buttons 2|. As the Shifters are moved forwardly and the pairs of jaws 22 and 23 reach the pairs of pockets I5, the spring Shanks I9 will function to shift the jaws into Said pockets, in which position of the jaws, the wedge-shaped spreader 28 will be retracted to provide ample clearance vbetween the jaws of each pair.

In use, the hair pin Shifters are initially moved forward, as shown in Figure 2, until the jaws 22 and 23 rest in the pockets I5, when a hair pin, as conventionally Shown at 29, is installed in the forward end portion of the uppermost of the grooves I3 and shifted rearwardly therein until the bright of the hair pin strikes the confronting stop 29 of the corresponding uppermost pin shifter. A so-called Bobby-pin is shown and, as is well known, one prong of Such a pin is straight while the other prong is corrugated. AS will be noted, the straight prong is positioned against the bottom of the groove and, when the bight of the pin abuts the confronting stop 2B, the top corrugation of the pin, indicated at 3D, will be disposed between the adjacent pair of pockets I opposite the point of the spreader 28 of said pin shifter.

Having arranged the pin in place, as described, the pin shifter is moved rearwardly, when the rearmost of the beveled shoulders 25 of the jaws of said pin shifter will coact with the confronting shoulders I for forcing the jaws together as they enter the rear dovetailed portion of the slot I 3 in question. Thus, the spreader 28 mentioned will be projected through the corrugation 30 between the coacting fingers 27, as seen in Figure 6, so that when the pin shifter isretracted, as seen in Figure 3, the prongs of the pin will be Spread apart against the resilient tension thereof and so maintained by the spreader. AS

brought out in Figure 6, the lower beveled face of the spreader will bind the lower prong of the pin against the bottom wall of the groove while the upper beveled face of the spreader will maintain the upper prong in diverging relation to the lower prong. Upon the installation of the pin 29, the device is rotated to dispose the other groove I3 uppermost, when a like pin 3l is then installed in the manner described.

Figure 3 shows the device ready for use al though, if desired, the pin Shifters may be further retracted. The end of a lock of hair is inserted through the slot II, when the mandrel Il) is rotated to wind a coil of hair on the mandrel in the well known manner, the device being brought to rest with say the pin 29 uppermost and the pin 3I close to the scalp. The uppermost of the buttons 2I is then pushed forwardly, Say with the thumb of the hand holding the handle I2, after which the other of the buttons 2I is likewise pushed forwardly, say with a nger of the Same hand. Thus, the other hand of the operator will be left free to shape and manipulate the coil of hair on the mandrel.

As will 'be seen, when the pin Shifters are pushed forwardly by the buttons 2I, as just previously described, the pin 29 will be caused to straddle and engage the turns of the coil of hair on the mandrel at the upper side of the coil while the pin SI will be caused to straddle and engage said turns at the lower side of the coil close to the scalp. The coil of hair will thus be firmly Se* cured to form a curl lying close to the scalp, as is so prevalently desired.

When the jaws 22 and 23 of the pin Shifters reach the pockets I5, as said Shifters are pushed forwardly as just described, the jaws will be moved apart, as previously explained, to release the pins, when the mandrel may be withdrawn from the curl or, if so desired, the pins may, before the mandrel is withdrawn, be manually pushed forwardly on the curl to the position shown in Figure 7. Forward movement of the jaws 22 and 23 beyond the pockets I5 will be blocked by the shoulders I'I which will coact with the foremost of the shoulders 25 on the jaws to gradually bring the jaws of each pair together and through the resiliency of the Shanks I9, effect a cushioned forward limitation of the pin Shifters.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A hair curler including a mandrel rotatable to wind a lock of hair thereon to form a coil and provided with a groove having lateral pockets, a hair pin shifter retractable in the groove and including a head, diverging spring Shanks extending from the head, complemental jaws carried by the free ends of said Shanks and urged apart thereby into said pockets to release a pronged hair pin therebetween in a forward position of the shifter but movable into the groove to engage and retract-the pin as the shifter is retracted, and a Spreader carried by one of the jaws to enter between and spread the prongs of the pin when the shifter is retracted, the Shifter being movable forwardly to shift the pin into engagement with said coil and release the pin.

2. A hair curler including a mandrel rotatable to wind a lock of hair thereon to form a coil, a hair pin Shifter slidable upon the mandrel and retractable thereon as well as being returnable to a forward position upon the mandrel, Said shifter including spring pressed pin engaging means urged to normally release a hair pin, the mandrel being provided with a portion to receive said means and accommodate movement thereof to release the pin in the forward position of the shifter, and means carried by the mandrel to coact with the former means for shifting the former means into engagement with said pin as the shifter is retracted for retracting the pin with the shifter, the shifter being returnable to said forward position for projecting the pin into engagement with said coil.

3. A hair curler including a mandrel rotatable to wind a lock of hair thereon to form a coil, a hair pin shifter slidable upon the mandrel and retractable thereon as well as being returnable to a forward position upon the mandrel, said shifter including complemental pin engaging jaws, resilient means urging the jaws apart, the mandrel being provided with portions to receive the jaws and accommodate separation thereof for releasing a hair pin therebetween in the forward position of the shifter, and coacting means carried by the mandrel and said jaws for forcing the jaws toward each other into engagement with said pin as the shifter is retracted for retracting the pin with the shifter, the shifter being returnable to said forward position for proi jecting the pin into engagement with said coil.

4. A hair curler including a mandrel rotatable to wind a lock of hair thereon to form a coil, a hair pin shifter slidable upon the mandrel and retractable thereon as well as being returnable to a forward position upon the mandrel, said shifter including complemental pin engaging jaws one having spreading means thereon to engage between and spread the prongs of a hair pin as the jaws are forced toward each other, resilient means urging the jaws apart, the mann drei being provided with portions t-o receive the jaws and accommodate separation thereof for` releasing a hair pin therebetween in the forward position of the shifter, and coacting means carried by the mandrel and said jaws for forcing the jaws toward each other into engagement with said pin as the shifter is retracted for retracting the pin with the shifter, the shifter being returnable to said forward position for projecting the pin into engagement with said coil.

5. A hair curler including a mandrel rotatable to wind a lock of hair thereon to form a coil and provided with a groove having lateral pockets, a hair pin shifter retractable in said groove as well as being returnable to a forward position therein, said shifter including complemental pin engaging jaws, and means normally urging the jaws apartinto said pockets for releasing a hair pin between the jaws in the forward position of the shifter, the walls of said groove being disposed to coact with the jaws for forcing the jaws toward each other into engagement with said pin as the shifter is retracted for retracting the pin with the shifter and the shifter being returnable to said forward position for projecting the pin into engagement with said coil.

MARIANO E. CARBONEL. 

